The Buffalo City Metro is set to score major road upgrades worth close to a billion rand or more, with hundreds of jobs created.
These infrastructure development projects are expected to create local jobs as well as significant opportunities for the city’s small, medium and micro enterprises.
The Sanral upgrades, set to take place between 2026 and 2029, will see the N2 from the Gonubie River bridge to the Brakfontein Interchange upgraded at a cost estimate of R500m over a 33-month construction period.
This upgrade forms part of Sanral's flagship Wild Coast Road Project, which aims to reduce travelling time between East London and Durban by at least three hours.
A construction tender is to be advertised in September 2026. The project is now in the design phase with consulting engineers GiBB (Pty) Ltd.
Other upgrades in the metro include adding lanes to a 5km section of the N6 from the Abbotsford Sasol garage to Ducats and improving the R72 from the Gulu River to King Phalo Airport.
Costs are unknown at this stage as the project is still in the concept design stage and will be submitted to Sanral in early December for approval. The concept design construction value is about R490m.
Construction is expected to start in late 2026 or early 2027. At this stage, no construction company has been appointed.
Businesses and residents were excited at the prospect of the planned development as it would lead to safer roads and attract investors.
Gonubie Ratepayers’ Association chair Henri Smit said any upgrade of existing infrastructure was a good thing and would benefit the community.
“We will gladly accept the upgrades of the infrastructure. That road needs urgent attention from Sanral.”
Smit said the agency needed to be transparent as to how long the project would take.
Border Kei Chamber of Business CEO Lizelle Maurice said road infrastructure improvements were good news, making the city more marketable.
“We applaud Sanral’s efforts. It means doing business between the cities will be easier.
“Any time a city has road upgrades, it is good for investors and tourists and there will be fewer accidents. We are glad that things are looking up.”
Black Business Forum president Luthando Bara said the forum welcomed Sanral’s ambitious plans.
“This initiative is a testament to the government’s commitment to improving regional connectivity and fostering economic growth.
“Improved road networks will make the metro more attractive to investors, enabling the expansion of key sectors such as manufacturing, logistics and tourism.”
Bara said the upgraded N2 Wild Coast Road would strengthen links between East London and Durban, reducing travel time and enhancing trade efficiency.
This investment was announced by Sanral’s Southern Region Stakeholder Engagement Co-ordinator, Welekazi Ndika, during an engagement session with a BCM delegation led by executive mayor Princess Faku.
Ndika said preliminary stages such as environmental assessments and authorisation applications to the Eastern Cape’s environmental affairs department were already under way.
The projects were scheduled to commence during the 2026/2027 financial year.
The consultative processes, including the formation of a project liaison committee, would begin in 2025.. The upgrades formed part of Sanral’s commitment to improving road safety and traffic flow.
Faku highlighted the transformative impact of Sanral’s projects in the region.
“We are very excited. These are huge projects that will create more job opportunities for our people and see better roads.
“We will continue working with Sanral to secure a brighter future for our communities.”
Faku referred to Sanral’s recently completed projects in the metro, including the Breidbach and Belstone interchanges and three community development projects in Qonce.
“Through these initiatives, Sanral is connecting our city with the rest of the province, which we are grateful for as it strengthens a key development pillar of Buffalo City.
“However, we still face challenges with our road infrastructure. We have even had to use some of our reserves to maintain roads that do not belong to the city.”
Faku commended Sanral’s contribution to job creation, training and skills development, while calling for inclusive engagement with local businesses.
“The social facilitators you have introduced will work closely with a steering committee and councillors in the wards where these developments will take place.”
Eastern Cape transport department spokesperson Unathi Binqose said: “We are excited about this project and the short-term benefits that come with it, such as job creation.”
He said the upgrades would not only boost businesses on the stretch but would also improve road safety.
Referring to the Brakfontein Intersection he said: “We have seen a lot of accidents in that stretch. The wider the road network, the better the chance of minimising pressures.
“We welcome this so that we can reap the benefits of this and the improvement of livelihoods.”
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